Between work, activities, and family, life can feel pretty overwhelming. You may feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day, so there simply isn’t time to get a good night’s sleep. But sleep is one of the most fundamental functions we do each day. Without good sleep you will not only feel terrible, but you will begin to damage your body.
Without proper sleep you will likely notice a difference in your energy, mood, and ability to function. And if you consistently wake up from a full night's sleep feeling less than refreshed, you may be dealing with undiagnosed sleep issues.
There is an easy way to check for such a sleep issue that you can do in the privacy of your own home. This simple test costs next to nothing and only takes a few extra seconds at night.
Let’s look at what the experts say about this test and how to use the results to train your body to sleep well again!
What We Are Looking For
According to Dr. Mark Burhenne sleep apnea is the “lack of the ability to breathe properly at night to the point where your sleep is interrupted.”
While most people are aware of severe sleep apnea, Burhenne explains that mild forms are often left undiagnosed especially in otherwise healthy individuals.
Sometimes a dentist will see early warning signs of sleep apnea through features in the mouth. These early signs include gum recession, tooth sensitivity, TMJ, dry mouth, morning headaches, chipped teeth, and nighttime clenching or grinding.
All of these signs can be attributed to the inability to consistently breathe through your nose rather than your mouth.
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If you’ve been around me awhile, you know how much I refer to our ancestors to decide what a natural way of living looks like.
Long ago our ancestors lived off the land. They only ate what they could hunt, grow, or forage. Therefore, the foods they ate were whole foods either grown or caught in the wild.
What would it look like for you to align your diet with what theirs may have been? Is there a way we could follow some of those principles in modern day life to get more nutrition?
Let’s explore this issue and see if we can use their diets as a guide for ours!
Living off the Land
Long ago our ancestors lived off the land. The foods they ate were whole foods - grown or caught in the wild. Everything was natural with no sprays or pesticides.
At the same time, food could be scarce and difficult to get. They had to work the land - growing, harvesting, or hunting each serving of food.
These ancestors didn’t need a ton of self control not to eat junk food, it simply wasn’t available!
Modern Diets
In contrast the Standard American Diet (SAD) is highly processed and composed of foods made in a factory. Some of the ingredients are even genetically modified. This type of diet is far from natural.
Much of the produce in the grocery stores were sprayed with pesticides and picked before they were ripe. And many of the animal products we consume were made from animals grown in an unhealthy environment.
And today our food supply - especially the unhealthy choices - tends to be abundant and easy to get.
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What are the top five things that you believe will keep you healthy? Take a minute to list these things in your mind before you read any further. No, seriously, just take a moment to think through your list.
There are many things people know they must do if they want to be healthy: eat well, get adequate movement, refrain from smoking, and limit alcohol. But now we can add “enjoying social connections” to our list of healthy habits!
Let’s explore what research has to say about the importance of your connections!
Social Connections Impact on Physical Health
Research is showing that social connections have a major impact on both our mental and physical health. It is not hard to believe that those who feel more connected with others tend to struggle less with anxiety and depression. They also have higher self esteem, greater levels of empathy, trust others more, and tend to be more cooperative.
While the impact of social connections on emotional wellbeing may be expected, the extensive impact on physical health may come as a surprise to many. According to Dr. Emma Seppala, the American Association for the Advancement of Science published a study that found that “a lack of social connection is a greater detriment to health than obesity, smoking and high blood pressure.”
It may be shocking, but strong social connections actually improve your immune system and lead to a 50% increased chance of longevity. More research is needed to discover why social connections have such a dramatic impact on health, but the research is clear that social connections are extremely important if you want to live a long and healthy life.
Insights From the Research
Let's look at the research a little more closely to see what this may mean for you.
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Halloween is the one day of the year most known for excessive candy intake!
I'm not here to tell you to skip the candy all together, but I would like to challenge you to be intentional about what you eat. There are a few 'tricks' that allow you to enjoy some 'treats' without derailing your health goals.
Check them out so you can stay on track during this fun and scary night!
Tricks for the Treats
- Read the Ingredients! Whenever I am temped to eat processed food, I look at the ingredient list. Reading the ingredients (high fructose corn syrup, food coloring, and hydrogenated oils) reminds me that is is NOT REAL FOOD after all, and that I really don't want to eat it. A colleague once told me that when they read these ingredients they end up viewing most processed food more like an object rather than a food
- Pass out something besides candy at your house. I remember one of my favorite houses to trick or treat at growing up had a jar of foreign coins. The top of the jar was small, but you were allowed to take anything you could grab between your fingers. Small hands could grab more than big hands. It was fun to see the foreign currency and figure out what country it was from.
- Get candy that doesn't tempt you. I struggle to avoid Reese's peanut butter cups. I know that if I pass these out at my house, I will inevitably eat more of them than I should. Buy some candy that isn't particular tempting to you, so it will be easier to resist.
- Set a limit for yourself and stick to it. Early in the day, think about how many pieces of candy you are going to let yourself to eat. You get to decide how many fit with your goals. Set the amount of candy you want to eat aside, and only eat out of your stash. This will prevent you from unconsciously grabbing candy from the bowl without realizing it.
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Many people wonder if it's possible to create a Thanksgiving menu with all real, unprocessed, nourishing foods. To that I respond with a resounding yes! It is absolutely possible to make a great meal using healthy whole foods. 